Mercer Freeholders discuss airport updates and bus routes

TRENTON — The Mercer County Freeholders are taking their “show” on the road.

The board will conduct their formal meeting Thursday evening, at the Ewing Municipality Building, located on Jake Garzio Drive. The goal is to increase awareness and participation of government from more residents within the county.

“It is great to bring the meeting out to the people,” said Ewing Resident and County Board Freeholder Lucy Walter. “When people come out in their “home” community they feel more comfortable and tend to speak more freely…it allows people to be a part of the government.”

During Tuesday evening’s agenda meeting the board discuss several pressing issues which will be voted on at the formal meeting Thursday evening.

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The Mercer County Executive office has asked for a change bid order in order to increase the cost of terminal improvements at the Trenton-Mercer Airport, by over six percent.

In January the board approved a bid for $820,000 to update the terminal with an additional set of bathrooms on the first floor, to renovate the passenger holding area and create a new baggage claim area, amongst other improvements.

Due to various circumstances, 10 additional bid items totaling $54,690.78 has been added to the list of improvements to increase the efficiencies that are considered of high importance within the terminal facilities, according to the referendum. County Executive Brian Hughes detailed select improvements which would make traveling through the airport easier, such as adding a refreshment stand past the security check point.

“We have full confidence and think that we will be able to make this change order pay for itself both in the quality of the product we give our passengers at the ability to get to planes and through security a lot faster,” said Hughes.

Parking fees is one way the county executive expects to cover the cost of the change order and he also hinted to Frontier’s impending announcement regarding their operations and a possible increase in flights coming into and out of the airport.

Freeholder Walter questioned how long the air-traffic controllers will continue to be funded through the government. The employees who man the control tower are contracted through a separate vendor. Because the airport is temporarily closed, undergoing renovations of its terminal and adding safety features to the runways based on Federal Aviation Association protocol, furloughed air traffic controllers, due to the government shutdown, have not been missed.

However, come November 9th, when operations are scheduled to resume, county officials are not clear how or if money will continue to flow to staff the control tower. “Funding was only secured till the end of October, beyond that it is anyone’s guess at how they will fund it,” said Hughes.

The County Executive also touched on bus transportation issues with the board, highlighting his discussions with the Department of Transportation to create a logical bus route between Trenton and the new Amazon Warehouse being constructed in Robbinsville.

“What worries me a little bit is they want services that start at the Hamilton Train Station, go out to Route 130 then use a connector line to Robbinsville,” said Hughes.

“People living in Trenton would need a three bus hookup, and three connections would turn people off to going out and finding work. It won’t work as effectively as a two connection.”

Members of the Freeholder board agreed and worried the DOT will not consider residents of the capital city when creating a transportation map. “The DOT has been notorious at not making (transportation out of Trenton) easy,” said Freeholder Sam Frisby. “There is money the DOT can put behind it but instead I’ve been getting calls from churches to see if they can help with their vans to transport people who want to work at Amazon from Trenton … the churches shouldn’t have to do that.”

Freeholders did not let the recent comments made by state Sen. Michael Doherty (R-Warren/Hunterdon/Somerset) regarding the deplorable conditions at Trenton Central High School, go unnoticed.

“Anyone who can say that we are using the school as a prop is just stupid, just plain stupid,” said an angered Frisby.

“I would say some cynical politicians from time to time may allow buildings to be used as props as opposed to actually doing the proper maintenance — allow an area to be a little spotty, a little maintained less than it should be — just so they could bring the press in and show them,” the Senator said on Monday during a tour of the 80-year-old school.

Doherty contends that the school district should have done a better job at allocating the $227 million in state aid to maintain the building’s structure and to educate its students.

Freeholder Colavita also chimed in, citing his recent visit to the high school in Robbinsville. “The disparity between the two schools is just awful.

“Trenton Central High School is like a forgotten city and those poor students are being robbed of their education,” Coavita continued.

About the Author

After being laid off from American Express, Sherrina went back to school and got a masters from C.U.N.Y. She isn't scared to ask tough questions and enjoys getting the story behind the story. Reach the author at Snavani@trentonian.com
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